When Two Worlds Collide
by steph84
Summary: What would happen if Harry had never gone into the Chamber of Secrets and he never met Tom Riddle? What if Tom Riddle could travel in time and attend Hogwarts during Harry and his friends' sixth year?
1. The New Boy

Amy Wilkinson sighed and looked around the room. She hated Defence Against the Dark Arts classes this year. So far her sixth year at Hogwarts had been excellent; she enjoyed hanging around with her best friends, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and she enjoyed writing short stories in her spare time. So far this year, there seemed to be hardly any spare time, though. Their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor McLellan, was a short old man whom insisted the only way they truly learn about the Dark Arts is to write fourteen page long notes, daily, on each and every curse and hex Professor McLellan could think of.  
  
Rolling her eyes as the professor began his seventh straight lecture that day, Amy urgently tried to make eye contact with Hermione, but she was involved in a heavy, but hushed, discussion with Ron about their History of Magic essay that was due the following week. Amy wanted to tell Hermione to wait for her after class and that she had to stay and talk to Professor McLellan about the previous night's homework. Switching her head to the other side of Ron, who sat in the middle of Harry and Hermione, she tried to catch Harry's attention. Harry, however, was listening intently to Ron and Hermione argue, with a look of amusement on his face. Giving up, Amy turned back to her own table where Seamus Finnigan and Neville Longbottom sat beside her. Grinning at Neville, who looked terrified at what Amy was about to do, Amy flicked a piece of crumpled up parchment at Ron.  
  
"Miss Wilkinson, I do not tolerate that kind of behaviour in my class!" Professor McLellan's voice boomed across the room to Amy's table and she shot around like a rocket to face the front. Trying to suppress his laughter, Seamus coughed into his hand, but it sounded something like, "Busted!" to Amy. Trying to suppress her own laughter (and ignore the laughter from Harry and Ron) Amy faced the front and prepared to take the punishment that Professor McLellan was going to hand out.  
  
"May I interrupt?" came a voice from the doorway and Amy breathed a sigh of relief. Every pair of eyes in the room came to rest on the new Headmaster of the school, Professor Handar, and a boy Amy had never seen before. He had jet-black hair, kind of like Harry's, and a very handsome face. He was tall, or at least taller than Amy, and had glistening blue eyes that seemed to glow.  
  
"Professor McLellan, this is your new student, Tom Riddle," stated the Headmaster, urging Tom forward with his hand. Professor Handar was not as kind as Professor Dumbledore, although he was a nice guy. Professor Dumbledore had retired the year before and Amy missed him very much. He had become like a father to her in the years that he was at Hogwarts. He promised to write the students frequently, but so far, no such letters had been received.  
  
"Thank you, Professor Handar." The Headmaster bowed his head slightly and exited the room leaving a very awkward Tom standing in the doorway. "Please come in, Tom. Take the empty seat beside the two girls up here. We were just discussing how to reverse harmful memory charms."  
  
Tom sat down at the table the professor had offered, which was only two tables ahead of Amy's table. He turned and grinned at her before facing the front and Amy forgot all about her troubles. Until Professor McLellan spoke.  
  
"Miss Wilkinson, as I was saying, I do not tolerate that kind of behaviour in my classroom. I will ask you to refrain from doing so in the future and you will serve detention with me tonight in the classroom at eight o'clock. Is that clear?"  
  
Amy nodded briefly, elbowing Seamus under the table for laughing. She tried to keep a straight face throughout the rest of the lesson, but found it difficult. As soon as Professor McLellan had dismissed them ("I will see you tonight at eight o'clock sharp, Miss Wilkinson") Amy released any thoughts about talking to Professor McLellan about the homework and hurried to catch up with her friends who were still talking candidly about the argument that had taken place earlier in the class.  
  
"I swear, Ron, if your head wasn't attached." Hermione started.  
  
"I would look like Nearly Headless Nick?" Ron finished. Harry burst out laughing but stopped at the sight of a glaring Hermione.  
  
"Hey, Amy. Looking forward to detention tonight?" Ron asked Amy as she hurried along side them.  
  
Choosing to ignore him, Amy asked, "What do you guys think of the new student?"  
  
Ron and Harry shrugged, but Hermione's face changed dramatically. "I think he's dreamy," she said, smiling softly into space. Amy hadn't seen her look this way since their fourth year when she met Viktor Krum, a student from another school. Ron elbowed her hard in the ribs. It was no secret to Harry and Amy that Ron and Hermione were perfect together, but they were too stubborn to see it.  
  
Amy giggled as Tom passed by her, giving her another grin. Harry looked unhappy and Ron smirked at him. "Hurts, doesn't it?" he asked. Unclear as to what Ron meant, Hermione and Amy chose to ignore the boys and walked together quickly to their next class, Potions, discussing the new boy along the way. Harry and Ron sulked behind them, hating to be put last again. 


	2. Detention

That evening, Amy rushed away from the Gryffindor common room to meet Professor McLellan in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. After an hour and a half of cleaning out jars that contained funny little animals that gurgled and spit up all over the place, Professor McLellan released her from detention.  
  
"I trust you learned your lesson," he grumbled, not any happier about being stuck there than Amy was.  
  
"Yes, sir," Amy replied, eager to get back to the common room where Harry and Ron were battling it out in a game of wizard's chess when she had left. Running out of the room, she accidentally ran into Tom Riddle, who had been waiting outside the classroom door. Stunned for a moment, unsure of what to say, Amy awkwardly blurted out, "Hi!"  
  
Tom smiled that oh-so-gorgeous smile and replied, "Hello. Amy, right?"  
  
Unable to speak, Amy nodded her head. Extending his right hand, Tom said, "I'm Tom. Tom Riddle. New student here. But then I guess you already knew that."  
  
Shocked (and elated) by his openness, Amy took his hand and shook it gently. Before she could stop herself, she asked, "Why are you out here? Did you want to talk to Professor McLellan?"  
  
Tom smiled again. "No. Actually, I wanted to talk to you."  
  
"Me? What would you want with me?"  
  
"You caught my eye earlier. I just wondered if you were interested in giving me a tour of the castle. You don't have to, of course," he added, quickly, seeing the doubt in her eyes.  
  
"No, no! I would love to!" Amy smiled back at him and grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's go!"  
  
It was an unusually chilly night for October and Amy shivered as they walked down by the water. It had been half an hour since Amy had left Professor McLellan's classroom, but it had felt like minutes. She had quickly shown Tom around the main floors of the castle before walking outside with him. The water was rippling under the breeze of the night and Amy felt content. This was nice.  
  
"So tell me about yourself, Tom," she said, immediately regretting it. Tom's face filled with an intense hate and an unmistakable revulsion.  
  
"My family isn't much to speak of," he said, his voice cold enough to send shivers down Amy's spine. "My mother was a witch and my father, a Muggle. They didn't get along much before my birth. My father left shortly after he found out that my mother was pregnant with me and my mother died in childbirth. I was raised in a Muggle orphanage. I attended Durmstrang until now, when I decided that I needed a change of scenery. So here I am." Once again, his face took on a charming grin. "What about you? Tell me about yourself."  
  
Sighing, Amy thought. How could she fit her entire life into a few sentences? "My mother and father are high pillars of the community," she began. "We're treated like royalty in the sense that we can never go far without a reporter tagging along at our heels. I think I was a mistake to my parents, for they never visit me much here. The past few summers and holidays, I haven't gone home, but have been invited to both Hermione and Ron's often. Once I even went with Harry to his aunt and uncle's." She sighed again. "I'm sorry. I must be boring you."  
  
"Not at all!" Tom cried. "Tell me more."  
  
"There's not much to tell," Amy replied honestly. "Sometimes I think my parents want to pretend I don't exist. They're too busy with all their work. It's hell, sometimes, it really is. That's why I'm always glad to be here, at Hogwarts." Looking up at the great castle, Amy felt a great sense of pride well up in her chest. Hogwarts was more of a home to her than anything now. She had been here for six years, and had only been home to visit her parents maybe four times since then. She rather be here any day, for no one bothered her here.  
  
Glancing back at Tom, she noticed that he had a hungry look in his eyes. Taking a second look, the hunger was gone and Amy thought that she might have imagined it. She smiled at him. "So that's my life. Pretty sad, huh?"  
  
Before Tom could respond, Hermione came flying over the hill towards her. She was running at such a speed that she couldn't stop in time and collided with Amy, sending both of them flying towards the water. When they had straightened themselves out, Hermione cried, "Amy! You've got an owl from your parents! It's urgent!" Noticing Tom there, Hermione blushed.  
  
"Hermione, this is Tom Riddle. Tom, this is my best friend who is a girl, Hermione Granger." Tom held his hand out to Hermione and kissed her hand gingerly, leaving Hermione to burst out in a fit of giggles. Trying to pry her away from Tom, Amy headed back to the castle, yelling over her shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry, Tom! We'll have to try this another time! I'll see you tomorrow in class. Oh, and good luck with the sorting tomorrow evening!" Since Tom had entered the school so late in his education, he was to be sorted tomorrow evening.  
  
"He's such a sweetheart!" Hermione crowed as they rushed down the hall towards the Gryffindor common room. "You're so lucky to have had a few minutes alone with him!"  
  
"Hermione, where's this letter from my parents?" Amy asked, anxious to see what they had to say. She hated when her parents sent these urgent messages, for they were usually useless to her, but often she worried that something had happened to her older sister or brother. Shane and Teresa Wilkinson were four and two years older than Amy and both worked for the Ministry of Magic in the Defence Against the Dark Arts Department. Amy was always worried that something awful was going to happen to them.  
  
Finding the envelope sitting on the table next to where Harry was sitting, she snatched it up, ignoring Harry's comment: "Took you that long to serve a detention, I see?"  
  
Reading the message scrawled on the parchment carefully, Amy let out a whoop of joy. "My sister is getting married!" she cried and all was forgotten as her friends crowded around her.  
  
"Tell her I said congratulations!" Seamus yelled from somewhere behind the group of people. Amy rolled her eyes. Seamus had met Teresa the previous year and developed a huge crush on her.  
  
Just then Professor McGonagall bustled through the portrait hole. "Everyone to bed!" she cried. "It's getting late!" Hurrying over to see what the whole commotion surrounding Amy was, Amy thrust the letter in her face.  
  
"Professor, my sister is getting married!"  
  
Professor McGonagall's stern face softened. Amy knew that Teresa had been a favourite of Professor McGonagall years ago when she attended Hogwarts. "Tell her I said congratulations," the professor said softly. "I will send an owl when I get a spare moment of time. Now everyone to bed!" She ushered them upstairs to the dormitories and bid them all a good night. The boys went straight to their dorm and started discussing the girls and how strange they were while Hermione and Amy went to their dorm and lay in bed for a long time, giggling. 


	3. Comfort

The next morning, Amy awoke with her stomach in knots. At first she wasn't sure what it was that was holding her back from getting out of bed, but then her stomach lurched. She rolled over and moaned. Hermione, who was sitting on the side of her bed, yawning and stretching, glanced over at her friend. "What's wrong?"  
  
"My stomach," moaned Amy. "I feel awful!"  
  
Looking worried, Hermione asked, "You didn't.you know, do anything last night, did you?"  
  
Amy gave her friend a scathing look. "Yeah, Hermione. I'm pregnant and it only happened last night." Shaking her head, she muttered, "You're smart; you should know that."  
  
Standing up, choosing to ignore her friend's sarcasm, Hermione headed into the washroom to get ready for breakfast. When she came out, she was surprised to find Amy still in bed, asleep. Shaking her friend gently, then more rapidly, she said, "Do you want me to tell Professor McGonagall that you're not coming to class because you're sick?"  
  
Groaning, Amy looked up. "No. But I'm not going to breakfast. Tell Harry and Ron I'll see them in Transfiguration." With that, she rolled over again, flopping her face into her pillow. Rolling her eyes, Hermione grabbed her school stuff and headed out the door.  
  
True to her word, when Hermione, Ron and Harry entered the Transfiguration class after breakfast, Amy was seated at their table, looking pale and tired, but present, nonetheless. Looking nonplussed, Ron sat down at the end of the table, as far away from Amy as possible. "She doesn't have anything catching, does she?" he whispered to Hermione as she sat down beside her friend. Giving him such a menacing look, Ron sat up straighter and faced front.  
  
"Morning, Amy. Feeling any better?" Harry sat down on the other side of Amy. Smiling weakly, Amy grasped Harry's hand.  
  
"No, but thank you for asking."  
  
Professor McGonagall entered the room shortly thereafter and commenced the day's lesson. Harry was more than pleased to see that there was no sign of Tom Riddle in this class. That meant that the only time he had to put up with him was in Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was nothing personal; Harry just didn't like the way that Tom looked at Amy and the way that they acted around each other.  
  
After that lesson (a double lesson that day) came lunch. Amy, still not very hungry, sat with her friends as they ravaged the food in front of them. "'Till not 'eeling 'ell?" Ron managed to say through a mouthful of pumpkin pie. Halloween was just around the corner and Hogwarts pulled out no stops during this time of year. Amy shook her head, catching a glimpse of Tom out of the corner of her eye. He was standing awkwardly at the entrance of the Great Hall. Clutching a book to his chest, he turned to leave.  
  
"I'll see you guys in class," Amy hissed and took off after him. Harry, who was starving a second ago, pushed his food away. He had lost all appetite.  
  
"Tom! Wait up!" Amy chased Tom down the hallway, catching up with him just outside of the entrance to Hogwarts. He turned to face her, his face breaking into a smile.  
  
"Hello!" he cried happily. "How are you?"  
  
Suddenly shy, Amy bowed her head slightly. "Good. And yourself?"  
  
"Couldn't be better. Want to talk another walk?"  
  
Forgetting all about her stomach pains from earlier, Amy agreed and followed Tom outside. Not realizing until fifteen minutes later, she asked, "Where'd that book go?"  
  
"What book?" Tom looked confused.  
  
"The book you were carrying when you left the Great Hall."  
  
"Oh, that thing." Tom patted his robe pocket. "I keep it in here, close to me. It's very special to me."  
  
"Oh." Amy wasn't sure what else to say. She didn't want to pry and she was sure that if Tom felt like sharing what the book was, he most definitely would. "Are you nervous about tonight?"  
  
Tom shook his head. "Not really. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? The hat will tell me, 'You're not fit for Hogwarts!' and kick me out?"  
  
Amy laughed, but her joy was cut short. "How do you know what Hogwarts uses for the sorting ceremony?"  
  
"I was told by Professor McGonagall," he replied quickly. "Want to go for a swim?" he asked, changing the subject as they neared the water.  
  
"Swimming?" Amy was doubtful. "At this time of year? The water will be freezing; it's almost Halloween!"  
  
"Ah, Halloween. My favourite time of year." Tom grinned. "Come on. Just a quick swim. To wake us up."  
  
"I'm already well awake, thank you," Amy replied, a grin spreading across her face. "But you can go if you want!" she shrieked the last word as she shoved Tom towards the water. He fell in with a splash and Amy fell back towards the shore. Laughing, Tom surfaced again, beckoning for Amy to approach the waterfront. She did so with caution and Tom pulled her head close to his.  
  
"You will pay for that, Amy Wilkinson," he said. "But not right now." Amy stood up to help pull Tom out of the water, but he pulled the hem of her robe, causing her to fall into the water, too. Sputtering, she emerged from the water, her hair ruffled.  
  
"I was right!" she cried. "It's damn cold in here!"  
  
Twenty minutes later, the two of them were racing back up the hill towards the castle, drying themselves off as they went. "We won't have any time to go to the dorms and change!" Amy said, hurrying along. Then a funny thought struck her. "Where are you staying, if you haven't been sorted yet?"  
  
"Professor Handar's office," Tom replied, ringing out his robes onto the front lawn of the castle. "He offered for me to stay I his room while he slept in one of the spare staff rooms."  
  
Running all the way to class, Amy and Tom found themselves just in time for the beginning of class. Glaring at her from the back table were Harry and Ron. Grinning was Hermione, who was also staring dreamily at Tom.  
  
"I'm glad you two decided to join us," remarked Professor McLellan, but there was a light tone in his voice. "Now, please, sit down and start taking notes. All of you." And off he went, explaining how one curse's results can vary if a different wand is used each time.  
  
Ripping off a spare piece of parchment, Amy scribbled, "Went for a swim; had a great time. Tell you more tonight at supper." Folding it up into a tight square, she flicked it towards the back table. Hermione caught it and read it, giving Amy a thumbs up signal. Glancing at the front of the room, Amy noticed that Professor McLellan hadn't caught on to the note passing yet.  
  
"Fall in the lake, did you?" Seamus' voice startled Amy and she punched him for scaring her. Then relaxing a bit, she replied, "No. I went for a swim. With some of my real friends, the Grindylows."  
  
"I'm your friend!" cried Seamus indignantly. "Now, will you take me to your sister's wedding?"  
  
"Can I go, too?" Neville asked hopefully. Finding it so hard to say no to either of them, Amy consented to both of them.  
  
"But you have to behave," she hissed at Seamus. "If not I will jinx you so that you cluck like a chicken at every wedding you attend for the rest of your life."  
  
Seamus drew a X over his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die," he pledged.  
  
"Good, because if you misbehave, you will die," joked Amy. Seamus punched her lightly on the shoulder and Amy caught a glimpse of Tom smiling at her from the front of the room. She smiled back and winked at him, something she had never done to any boy before.  
  
After the lesson, Amy hurried once again to catch up with her friends, but only Hermione remained behind to wait for her. "Where are the boys?" she asked when she greeted her friend.  
  
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. They rushed off, muttering something about arriving early for Potions." Her face took on a frightened look. "I think they're sick."  
  
Laughing, Amy threw her arms around her friend and they walked out of the classroom, making sure they strolled slowly to be able to watch Tom pass them by. He winked at Amy as he did so, and Hermione let out a squeal of joy. "He winked at you!" she cried.  
  
"I know, Hermione. I can see," Amy said jokingly. "You will never believe what happened!" And with every ounce of energy she had, she relived the entire tale for Hermione, unable to keep it in any longer.  
  
"So I take it you're feeling better," Hermione said as they took their seats in the Potions dungeon. Amy nodded, looking around. Ron and Harry were nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Getting to Potions early?" she muttered. "I wonder what they're up to?"  
  
Seconds later, as if they heard her, Harry and Ron burst through the doorway, halting when they saw the girls already seated at the table. Sensing that Harry was a little upset with her, Amy asked him if he wanted to go for a walk after class, before supper. Harry nodded, absentmindedly.  
  
"Where were you?" she whispered as Professor Snape started the class.  
  
"The Owlery," Harry replied. "I wanted to send an owl to Sirius about something."  
  
Having a strong feeling that she was that something, Amy kept her mouth shut all through the lesson. When it was over, she stayed to help Harry clean up the mess they had made. "If you two had been paying attention instead of blabbing, maybe you wouldn't have this problem!" Snape told them fiercely, but he left them alone to clean up the mess.  
  
"So, what's going on with you and that Riddle guy?" Harry asked, trying to sound casual. Amy grinned to herself. So that's what was bugging him!  
  
"Nothing," she replied, just as casually. "Can you hand me that cloth over there?"  
  
Harry tossed the grey cloth to her. "Nothing? Is that why you two show up late for class, soaked to the bone?"  
  
"We weren't late for class, we were actually on time," Amy replied. Looking over, she saw that Harry was wiping the same spot over and over again, a spot that hadn't been touched by the potion that brewed over the side of the cauldron. He was staring at her intently, waiting for her to continue. Gently putting her hand on his, she made him stop scrubbing. She looked into his eyes and said, "There is nothing going on between me and Tom Riddle! You're still my best friend! You're the one I still talk to all the time. You're the one who stays up with me until two-thirty in the morning, talking about nothing. Don't worry, I still love you!" She grabbed the cloth out of his hand and tossed it to the front of the room. Throwing her book bag over her shoulder and threading her free arm through Harry's, she smiled at him and walked out of the classroom with him. 


	4. A Sorting

That evening, the Great Hall was decorated with orange and black ribbons. Hogwarts always went to great lengths to make the school look magnificent for Halloween, which was only two weeks away. Amy sat nervously at the Gryffindor table, waiting for the sorting for Tom to begin. He was seated at the teacher's table, towards the end and he kept looking up and smiling at her. Grinning back, she pretended to be involved in a deep conversation with Ron and Harry about Quidditch.  
  
"I don't know how you guys can talk about Quidditch as much as you do!" Hermione crowed, looking disgusted. "It's a great sport and all, but how can you discuss the same tactics over and over again?"  
  
The three friends looked at each other and shrugged. "It's a second nature," Harry replied, giving Amy a coy look. He had been much warmer towards her ever since she had talked to him at the end of Potions. All throughout supper, he kept poking her or making jokes to make her laugh. It felt nice to be good friends with him again.  
  
It seemed like hours had passed before the sorting was about to begin and Tom was seated on the stool that Amy herself had been seated on six years previous. While the hat pondered Tom's fate, Amy found herself whispering, "Please, let him make Gryffindor. Gryffindor, come on Gryffindor."  
  
From beside her, Harry was giving her funny glances, but he didn't want to push his luck. Not when things had been going so well for the past few hours. He, too, watching in anticipation as the Sorting Hat decided on which house Tom would be in. Tom Riddle, Harry thought to himself. The name sounded so incredibly familiar, but he couldn't place from where. It was like his memory had blocked out the time frame when he heard the name before.  
  
The Sorting Hat, which seemed to be taking an awfully long time, finally reached a decision and pronounced, "Slytherin!" much to Amy's disappointment, and shock. Tom seemed like such a nice guy; how could be belong in Slytherin, with Draco Malfoy and his goonies, Crabbe and Goyle? It just didn't seem right. She raised her eyes to meet Tom and was surprised to see him smiling, moving quickly towards the Slytherin table. Doubts began to fill her mind as she watched him quickly engage himself in conversation with his fellow students in Slytherin.  
  
"Well, what do you know?" Ron tried to make the situation light, but the four friends sat in stunned silence. Harry's mind was reeling a thousand miles a minute, as he tried to place where he had heard the name Tom Riddle before. Somehow, he felt it had a connection with Slytherin, one deeper than just the Sorting Hat's decision, but he still couldn't force his mind to stay still on the subject. Happy, Harry figured that Amy might forget about Tom and concentrate on him more.  
  
After everyone else was in bed sleeping that night, Amy leaned out of her bed to whisper to Hermione, whose bed was beside hers. "Hermione! Are you awake?" she hissed into the darkness. Moonlight filtered through the window and Amy saw Hermione stir.  
  
"I'm awake," she whispered back. "Can you believe that about Tom being in Slytherin?"  
  
Amy grinned. That's why Hermione was one of her best friends; it was like she could read her mind. "I know! I can't get over it. At first I thought that there was a mistake. Maybe the Sorting Hat was upset about being pulled out for work twice in one school year."  
  
"It's happened before," Hermione replied, yawning. She was referring to the brother and sister that had entered Hogwarts late last year. "The Sorting Hat sorted them properly then."  
  
"True." Amy was silent for a moment, listening to the other two girls' steady breathing. "I just don't understand it."  
  
"Me, either," Hermione replied. "Are you going to talk to him again?"  
  
"I don't know," said Amy. And she truly didn't know. Hermione fell asleep a few moments later, leaving Amy struggling with the very same question.  
  
For the next few days, Amy avoided Tom at all costs. It wasn't just the fact that he was sorted into Slytherin. It was the fact that he seemed so happy about it. Like it was something that he had planned. Not sure how to act around him, she avoided his looks in class and steered clear of him in the hallways. Once, while Hermione and Amy were studying in the library, Tom approached them. But the two girls quickly made away without so much as a glance at him.  
  
Amy felt horrible for it all. She knew that deep down inside Tom was a good guy. Maybe he just sported some of the characteristics of Slytherin. But Amy was forced to think differently every evening at supper when she saw him conversing with his fellow Slytherins. He truly seemed to fit in there with them all. And it was common knowledge that almost every witch and wizard that had been in Slytherin turned out evil.  
  
Amy didn't speak to Tom until late one evening. She had gone for a quick walk around the grounds before heading to the common room. The night air was chilly, as Halloween was drawing closer. The sun had set, casting a dark shadow over the castle and its grounds. Walking briskly, to get back to the castle before Professor Handar sent out a search team to find her, she headed up towards the castle.  
  
"Amy! Can't you hear me? Amy, stop for a second!"  
  
At first, Amy thought she was hearing things. She had been so mean to Tom lately, walking away from him when he tried to talk to her, moving her eyes away whenever he tried to make eye contact. Why would he want anything to do with her? She turned around and came face to face with him. A look into his eyes made her wonder why she ever wanted him to disappear from sight.  
  
"Amy, are you mad at me?" Tom finally caught up with her, out of breath from running. "Every time I try and talk to you, you walk away, like you're mad at me."  
  
"I'm not mad at you," she assured him. "I've just been a little confused lately and I just needed some time to myself."  
  
"Are you ready to spend some time with me again?" he asked, moving closer to her, holding her hand gently. She found, as much as she hated it, she couldn't look him straight in the eye. It was no big deal to have couples in different houses, but this was Slytherin. It was not unheard of, but it still made her think, all the same.  
  
"Tom, I." she started, but her voice faltered as she looked out over the water. Taking a deep breath, she threw all caution into the wind. "Do you want to come with me to my sister's wedding?"  
  
Tom looked taken back, but gladly agreed. "Only if I can go as your date," he added, confirming Amy suspicions. She nodded slowly, not sure if that was something she absolutely wanted to consent to. Walking hand in hand towards the castle, she felt like a weight had been lifted off of her chest.and put in her stomach. 


	5. Halloween

The next morning at breakfast, Amy quickly filled Hermione in on what had happened the previous evening. She didn't want to say too much with Harry around, for fear that he might get mad again.  
  
"That's so romantic!" cried Hermione, her eyes actually misting over. She grabbed Amy's hands. "Maybe it will be your wedding one day!"  
  
Amy laughed. "I'm not pushing anything."  
  
When the boys arrived in the Great Hall, Amy motioned for Hermione to keep quiet on the subject while Harry and Ron were around. Harry sat down beside Amy and grinned at her. "Sleep okay?" he asked her.  
  
She grinned back. "As always." Breakfast continued and Amy tried to avoid smiling at Tom as he entered the Hall and sat down at the table across the room from her. Soon after, the post arrived and Hedwig dropped a letter in Harry's lap. He fed her some crusts and tore open the envelope.  
  
"Is it from Sirius?" Amy asked, leaning over his shoulder, but Harry pulled the letter out of sight.  
  
"Yes. And you can't read it."  
  
"Why not?" Amy pretended to act hurt.  
  
"Because it's about you," Harry teased.  
  
"If its about her, then technically she should be able to read it," Hermione joined in. Ron shot her a dirty look that plainly said stay out of this and Hermione kept quiet.  
  
"Come on, let me see it!" Amy persisted. Harry stood up and moved towards the entrance of the Great Hall, still reading. He folded the parchment up, stuck it in his robe pocket and ran out of the Hall, calling over his shoulder, "You'll have to catch me first!"  
  
His three friends caught on quickly and raced out of the Hall, leaving the rest of the students gawking. Catching up with Harry in front of Hogwarts' entrance, they cornered him. "Let me read it!" Amy said, "Or else you're going in the water!"  
  
"Never!" Harry cried and turned to run. For a few moments, it was just as if they were back in their first year, laughing and having a good time with no worries or cares in the world. Then a looming figure stopped their play.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore!" they cried, happy to see their old Headmaster. The Professor grinned as he greeted them.  
  
"It has been too long," he said, shaking the boys' hands. "How is everyone?" "Good," they chorused. "What are you doing here, Professor?" Harry asked, not wanting to sound rude.  
  
"I'm just here to pick up some retirement papers," the old man replied. "I will not be here for long, however I will be visiting on Halloween this upcoming week. Perhaps we will have a chance to catch up then?"  
  
"Definitely!" they agreed and bid Dumbledore goodbye. Noticing the time, they rushed up to the common room to get ready for Transfiguration.  
  
Halloween arrived with a bang at Hogwarts. Amy woke up, feeling refreshed and happy. She had been seeing more and more of Tom lately, and discovered that he may harbour some deep characteristics of Slytherin, but in all, he was a really great guy. He offered to help her with her homework and they would spent countless hours in the library studying, with Hermione sitting with them, behind a stack of books, staring dreamily at him. Ron and Harry weren't far away, glaring.  
  
For the scariest day of the year, Halloween morning proved to be beautiful outside. The sun shone through the dormitory window, bathing Amy in sunlight as she awoke from a deep sleep. Standing and stretching, she listened to the other girls banter about the Feast that evening. Joining them, she, too, began to discuss the plans for the day.  
  
Classes were to be cut short by an hour to allow time for a small outdoor gathering for all students. It was a nice chance to catch up with your friends, or some homework, if you hadn't done it already. You could relax in the library, or outside, by the water. This took place until everyone was called to the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast. Amy had enjoyed several Halloweens at Hogwarts so far and each one just got better and better. Minus the one her first year when a mountain troll had found its way into the school, causing several students to panic and pass out.  
  
"Are you ready for the day?" chirped Ginny Weasley, who also shared the girls' dorm. Any other day, Amy would have basically growled at Ginny. She couldn't stand those who were up and raring to go before eight in the morning. It was a jealousy thing, basically, for Amy envied those people. Instead, this morning, she beamed at Ginny and replied, "I sure am!"  
  
Downstairs they all trooped, and the girls discovered Ron and Harry already downstairs in the common room, in a conversation. "I can remember it, just not from where," Harry was saying quietly, as if he were afraid someone would hear him. "But I wish I could remember because it is driving me crazy." Noticing that the girls had entered the room, he stood up from the chair quickly, almost knocking heads with Ron. "Morning, ladies," he said, bowing goofily.  
  
Amy giggled. "You're such a nerd," she joked and Harry took her arm and started to lead her out of the room. "I know."  
  
The Hall was decorated more beautifully than any of the past years, as far as Amy was concerned. They sat down at their table and thoroughly enjoyed breakfast. When they were finished, Ron said, "If that was breakfast, I can't wait to see what dinner is like!"  
  
"You're always thinking of food," Hermione grumbled. Seeing Harry and Amy getting along so well made her want someone to get along with like that. But she was convinced that Ron was too dense to notice her temptations.  
  
"When do you guys think Professor Dumbledore will be arriving?" Amy asked, smiling shyly as Tom entered the Hall. Why he always got there after everyone ate, she was never sure. Come to think of it, she had never seen him eat, nor drink anything, that she could remember. It seemed odd, but maybe he didn't like to eat in front of people.  
  
"I don't know. This afternoon, maybe?" Hermione answered. "I will be shocked if he isn't here for the Feast tonight."  
  
"He'll be a fool if he isn't," said Ron, staring hungrily at the leftover food on the table in front of him. Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
It seemed that no student was able to concentrate during class. Professor McLellan had to refrain from screaming angrily several times during his class. Seamus was the main source of trouble. He had gotten these little yellow rubber happy faces that bounced high in the air when you turned them inside out. He was jinxing them so that they would bounce higher and repeatedly.  
  
"Mr. Finnigan, if I have to remind you once more that I do not tolerate that kind of behaviour, I will kick you out," said the angry teacher, struggling to keep his voice calm. Amy assumed that even he was in the Halloween spirit, for no matter how many times he threatened Seamus that he was going to kick him out, he never did.  
  
Amy noticed that Tom looked unusually tired during class. She had expected him to be thriving, as Halloween was his favourite time of the year. After class, she cornered him and asked what was wrong.  
  
"I'm just tired," he retorted. "Just really tired." He smiled weakly. "But don't worry. I'm still somewhat full of energy. Would you care to take a trip with me tonight?"  
  
"I don't know. It depends on where to," Amy said, grinning. She expected him to say Hogsmeade, which would suit her fine. The only place that rivalled Hogwarts at Halloween time was Hogsmeade, the nearby all- wizarding village. But instead, Tom replied, "You'll have to wait and see," in a teasing, singsong voice. Amy obeyed his request to wait and see and she went about the last class of the day (Potions) with a happy disposition. 


	6. A Very Secret Chamber

The weather changed drastically outside as emotions ran high inside. A sunny morning turned cold and windy, and rain pelted the castle windows heavily. Everyone inside was rushing to get ready for the Halloween Feast, paying no attention to the raindrops bombarding the windowpanes.  
  
Amy entered the Great Hall with Hermione, Ron and Harry close behind them. Hermione started giggling when she saw the Great Hall and Amy could see why. Halloween was kind of like Christmas for Hogwarts students. It was a time full of excitement and fun. And the Hogwarts professors knew that so that's why they decorated the Hall with the most extreme decorations they could find. There were plastic skeletons in every corner, bewitched to stand and bow as the students passed by. Orange and black strings hung from the ceiling and, which was dark and stormy, and the usual candles floated aimlessly in the air. Lightning flashed through the windows, illuminating the dark Hall every so often, giving the evening the true feeling of Halloween.  
  
Sitting down with her friends, Amy ducked to avoid being hit by flying spaghetti noodles that Seamus was tossing at people. Amy grinned, thinking that if Professor McGonagall, or any teacher for that matter, caught Seamus doing that, he would have more than his fair share of scares on this Halloween. Last Halloween, when another student from another house started a food fight during the Feast, the professors made him sit in a room with Peeves, the troublesome ghost who loved making trouble. Needless to say, that student no longer felt the need to throw food and surely wouldn't be starting any food fights this year.  
  
After a wonderful supper of every sort of wonderful food you could imagine, Amy leaned back as far as she could without falling off the backless bench. "I don't want to eat for another week," she said and Ron groaned his agreement. Harry was still giving her strange looks, with somewhat anger flashing in his eyes, but Amy chose to ignore him. He was so moody lately; she didn't know what to do anymore. She was afraid to breathe around him for fear that he would snap. Sometimes, he was himself, cheerful and goofy with her and other times, it was like he was a completely different person and she didn't even know him.  
  
Amy began to wonder where Professor Dumbledore was. Reflecting her thoughts, Hermione said, "I thought Professor Dumbledore was going to be here."  
  
"I thought so, too," Ron replied. "Maybe he just got caught up with something." The others nodded in agreement.  
  
After Professor Handar had dismissed them, Tom approached Amy's table. He had, once again, arrived late and had not eaten a thing, something that Amy found stranger now. However, she chose to push her suspicions aside and followed him out of the Hall, bidding goodbye to her friends over her shoulder.  
  
Tom led her down to one of the dungeons and through a door. They were in a room that was dark and dank, and Amy wished she could be anywhere but there. It was cold and the dampness was setting in, giving her the chills. Before she could ask where they were and what they were doing, Tom spoke.  
  
"Amy, I have to ask you a question and you will answer me honestly." His voice was cold and his eyes were icy as they drilled into her own. She knew that this wasn't the Tom she had agreed to leave with but she couldn't force herself to leave. She felt as if she were in a trance as Tom continue to speak, his dark eyes flashing. "Amy, will you give yourself to me completely and entirely?"  
  
Unable to fight off his steely eyes, Amy replied, "Yes."  
  
"Will you obey my every command as though I am your master?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Will you do all my bidding for me, as I ask you to?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
A wicked smile spread over Tom's face. "Good," he answered softly. "Very good." Turning to a wooden door which Amy had not noticed before, he spoke in a very low tone. The door swung open with a swishing sound and stopped with a clunk. Pushing her ahead of him, Tom entered the room and directed Amy down a long tunnel. It was even colder in here and although Amy was in a sort of trance, she could still feel the moist air chill her to her bones.  
  
After walking for what seemed like an eternity, Tom came to a ladder, which led only down. He climbed down it with ease and then helped Amy down. This room was even worse than the ones before. They were on what looked like a dock, surrounded by shallow water. Up ahead of them was a large, looming statue of a face that Amy had never seen before, but seemed strikingly similar to someone she knew. Looking around triumphantly, Tom gestured to the room they were in.  
  
"Amy, welcome to the Chamber of Secrets." 


	7. Something Unwanted

Still unable to snap out of her trance, Tom led her towards the statue. Really feeling the chill now, Amy couldn't help but shiver.  
  
"Cold, are we?" Tom's voice was as cold as the room. "Well, you won't have to worry for much longer," he said with a devilish grin. "You'll be taken care of soon."  
  
Deep in her mind, somewhere towards the back, Amy felt a prick of anger. Who was this kid to think that he could control her? With all of her might, she tried to surge enough energy to break away from the force of his stare, but she couldn't do it. Helpless, she listened as Tom explained.  
  
"This room was built by the great Salazar Slytherin thousands of years ago. He built it and made it the home of a great, deadly serpent which brought death to those who looked it in the eye. He did this in knowing that one day, his true heir would return to the castle, and open the chamber, to rid the school of all those not fit for studying magic. In other words, Mudbloods." A strange sort of grin crept over his face. "But that's not my purpose here today, Amy. My purpose is to lure Harry Potter here with you as my bait. I know Harry has feelings for you, Amy, and that he will do anything to save you. So now, we just have to sit and wait for him to arrive."  
  
The Chamber of Secrets. Amy's mind rang with alarm. Somewhere, she had heard that phrase before. It was in her second year. A deadly serpent, that would be a basilisk. Putting two and two together, Amy came up with four and put her mind to work at resisting his spell over her. While she did so, Tom continued with his story.  
  
"As you may have realized, Amy, I'm not the boy you think I am. In reality, I am a memory who lived fifty years ago and attended this very school. I cast a spell upon myself to return to this time frame to lure Harry Potter into my clutches."  
  
"What do you want with Harry?" Amy muttered, finally able to speak some of her own words. "What did he ever do to you?"  
  
Paying no attention to the fact that she had broken through his spell, Tom replied, "Potter deserves to die. After what happened with the Dark Lord, how Potter destroyed his powers, he definitely deserves to be punished. And I'm the one who's going to take care of that."  
  
"And this concerns you, why?" Amy's voice was stronger now as she was able to pull herself out of the spell more and more. It was like emerging from deep waters and being able to breathe again.  
  
"Everything that has to do with Voldemort concerns me," replied Tom, his smile growing wider. "You see, Amy, I am Voldemort."  
  
Suddenly it all clicked in Amy's mind. Tom Riddle. The heir of Slytherin. Opened the Chamber fifty years ago. Something to do with Hagrid. The heir of Slytherin! The heir of Slytherin and Voldemort were one! But surely, that meant that Tom was a Parselmouth, didn't it?  
  
"You're right, Amy," said Tom, as if he were reading her thoughts. "The look on your face says you've put it all together. I am Voldemort. I am the heir of Slytherin. And I do speak Parseltongue," he added with a snicker. "Just like your friend, Harry Potter. Harry Potter knows all about the Chamber of Secrets. McGonagall told him in his second year. He knows how to find it and how to get here. I expect he'll be along soon."  
  
Amy's heart was racing. Boy, would Harry hate her now. First, she had blown him off for Tom Riddle, who she assumed was a normal boy. Then she discovers that she had blown Harry off for his enemy, Voldemort. This was going to go over well.  
  
"So why me?" Amy asked, to keep Tom busy until Harry got there. "What did you want with me?"  
  
"I told you, Amy, you were my bait. You were the whole reason for Harry coming down here." He stopped for a moment and a glinting look came into his eyes. "But I think I found another reason." He stepped towards her. "You see, Amy, you're family is famous-powerful. Not unlike myself. If we were together for eternity, we could make things happen, you and I."  
  
"I'm not thinking so, Tom. Sorry."  
  
"Oh, but you don't have a choice, Amy. You and I can be together forever. Our souls, our minds, our lives." He waved his wand high above his head. "We could have a child, Amy. And our child, given the powers of us both, could rule the world when we're both gone."  
  
Before Amy had time to protest, Tom raised his wand and aimed it at Amy's middle. A jet of yellow light burst forth and Amy felt herself go limp. She collapsed on the ground and Tom knelt at her side. Touching her stomach lightly, he said, "Our child, Amy. Our child will do wonderful things." Standing again, he went back to watching the tunnel for Harry.  
  
Amy felt as if someone had kicked the life out of her. This night was just getting better and better. Now, she not only fraternised with the enemy, but she was carrying his child. People everywhere would hate her. If they didn't already.  
  
Looking up at the ladder that led into the tunnel above, Amy prayed for Harry to hurry. Surely her friends were missing her by now. Hermione knew that she would be with Tom. Wasn't that enough for them to put everything together, given the knowledge they had learned about the Chamber of Secrets in the past?  
  
Almost as if he had heard her pleas, Harry appeared at the top of the ladder, looking somewhat mystified. Slowly he climbed down and started towards Tom. "You," he said, quietly.  
  
Undaunted, Tom replied, "Yes, Harry. Me. I wondered how long it would take you to figure it out."  
  
"You gave hints," said Harry, still trying to piece everything together. "It wasn't that difficult." He looked at Amy, who was standing no more than five feet behind Tom, clutching her stomach. Tom followed his gaze and that same wicked smile spread across his face.  
  
"Yes, Harry, Amy is here. She is not hurt. But she is with child."  
  
Harry looked at him. "With child?" Looking back and forth between Tom and Amy, Harry looked as if he couldn't decide whether to run or stay. When he looked at Tom, images of his parents filled his mind. This was the boy that killed his parents. He felt a surge of anger flow through his body.  
  
Glancing at Amy, seeing the hurt on her face, he had a difficult time deciding whether or not she had any part in getting pregnant with Tom's child. Her eyes were red and he could see tears forming in them. Deciding to throw all caution to the wind, he turned back towards Tom and aimed his wand at him.  
  
Instantly, as if he could predict what Harry was about to do, Tom had his wand at the ready. They aimed them at each other and before Tom could even move to cast a spell, Harry cried, "Accio!" and Tom's wand flew out of his hands and to Harry, rendering Tom utterly defenceless.  
  
"You have my wand, Potter," he sneered, "but I still have the basilisk." Spinning on his heels, he faced the great statue and began to snarl in the same tone that Amy heard him use earlier. He held his hand towards the statue, waiting for the basilisk to appear, but nothing of the sort happened. When he spun back around, Harry was grinning.  
  
"You've forgotten, Tom. Indeed, a basilisk can live many years. But not forever." He raised his own wand again, having tossed Tom's to Amy, who was still standing on the sidelines. "Recendo Inverte!" Harry pronounced and Tom's figure began to flicker. Amy watched in horror as Tom continued to flicker and faded out of sight. Amy felt a sharp stabbing pain in her abdomen, which lasted no more than five seconds.  
  
Running to Harry's side, Amy fell to the ground and began sobbing. "I'm so sorry, Harry," she said. "I'm really sorry."  
  
Harry brought her to her feet and smiled. "We all make mistakes," he said, putting on a brave front. Walking to the place where Tom Riddle stood no more than twenty seconds ago, he said, "And he just made too many."  
  
"What happened to him?"  
  
Harry looked up. "He was a memory. That's why you never saw him eat or drink."  
  
"But he seemed so real!"  
  
"I know." Harry looked back to the ground. "I knew I knew the name Tom Riddle from somewhere, but I just couldn't figure out where. Then it hit me: the end of our fourth year, when Voldemort rose again. The name on the tombstone from which they took the bone was Tom Riddle."  
  
"But Tom Riddle-he was a-Harry I'm really confused."  
  
"That Tom Riddle," he motioned to the spot where Tom had been standing, "was Tom Riddle, Junior. His father was a Muggle and his mother, who was a witch, named him after his father, shortly before she died. Tom Riddle, Senior was from whom Wormtail took the bone to make Voldemort rise again. It was his father."  
  
"He didn't tell me much about his family, but he never told me that," Amy said quietly, her eyes cast downwards. "I never knew. I never knew that he was the Dark Lord. I never knew what hell he caused for everyone. I just never knew."  
  
"What do you say we get out of here?" Harry asked, taking her hand, but Amy pulled away.  
  
"Don't you understand, Harry? I can't go back! How can I go back and tell everyone that I'm pregnant with Voldemort's child? They'll hate me even more than they already do. I'll be an outcast, running from the Ministry, for they will surely want a hand in it all. I can't do that, Harry, I just can't."  
  
To her surprise, Harry was smiling. "You're forgetting, too, Amy. When Tom faded out of sight, so did his memory and existence. He was never here! Therefore, you are not pregnant with his child."  
  
Tears shining in her eyes, Amy tried to look happy about this news, but she knew she wouldn't truly believe it until she heard it from Madam Pomfrey. As she followed Harry out of the Chamber of Secrets, she looked behind her and sighed. Magic was a funny thing. It could help you immensely, or burden you to no end. It was both exciting and scary. It was both happy and sad. It did so many things to you that you felt like you were spinning around in circles in the air. But Amy, for once, didn't feel dizzy any longer. 


	8. Aftermath

Amy sat among her classmates in the Great Hall, smiling and laughing. It was the day after Amy's adventures in the Chamber of Secrets with Tom Riddle and she was more than anxious to get back to her regular routine, with her friends by her side. Earlier that morning she had gone to Madam Pomfrey and had been examined. Madam Pomfrey concluded that she was not pregnant, and she also doubted that Amy ever had been.  
  
"Magic's good for a lot of things," she said in a hushed voice, "but it takes someone truly gifted in magic to do something like that."  
  
Professor Dumbledore, a special guest speaker for the morning, had rose at the Head Table, causing everyone in the Hall to silence. "As many of you already know," he began in that calming way that he had, "Hogwarts has played host to several disturbing events in the past few weeks. I would like to take this time to assure you that everything is back to normal. There will be no more conflicts concerning certain students in the school and everything will remain as positive as possible.  
  
"I'm sure that many of you are wondering where I was this past Halloween evening. In truth, I was dealing with the very conflict that occurred at Hogwarts last night. Of course, with the help of some others, I couldn't have done it." He distinctly smiled in Harry's direction and Harry smiled back before quickly bowing his head.  
  
"Now, on one last announcement, I would like to inform everyone that Professor Handar is moving on to become Headmaster of a wizarding school in Canada. So you will have a new Headmaster here at Hogwarts."  
  
"Great. I wonder who they'll stick us with this time," Ron muttered. Ron had never been overly fond of Professor Handar.  
  
"I will be leaving retirement and taking my position once again as Hogwarts Headmaster," Dumbledore continued, leaving the students to applaud politely for Professor Handar and cheer enthusiastically for the return of Professor Dumbledore. Amy joined in with her friends, listening to the deafening roar of clapping fill the Hall. Both professors were shaking hands up at the Head Table, smiling and joking. Amy looked around, grinning widely, realizing that there was no place like Hogwarts for an adventure. 


End file.
